1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in supporting microphones securable to a marimba, xylophone and vibraphone. More particularly, the present supporting microphone(s) that is securable to any mallet pitch percussion instruments includes a vibration isolation structure that suspends a tracking system on the illustrated marimba and a separate vibration isolation structure that isolates each microphone from the tracking system.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Several products and patents have been used to receive the musical sound from a marimba or similar percussion instrument. Most of these devices either are secured to each sound bar or secured to a microphone placed over the sound bars. Exemplary examples of patents covering these products are disclosed herein.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,563 issued Feb. 27, 1990 to Masaaki Mizuguchi discloses a sound bar electronic musical instrument such as a marimba. At least some of the sound bars have their own microphone. When a sound bar is struck a tone generator makes the sound through a speaker. This patent does not use all the actual sound from the marimba, the sound is produced from a tone generator.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,777 issued May 1, 1979 to Keiicki Sugiyama et al., discloses a piano sound pickup method and device. The pickup and device is placed between a wall of a piano case in opposed direction with a sounding board. The location of the microphone is fixed within the piano and can receive mechanical vibration. Since the single microphone is fixed to a single location there is limited ability to adjust the microphone to receive sound from all of the strings equally or from a particular grouping of strings.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,096,955 issued Aug. 1, 2000 to Jan Anno Ter Heide discloses a device for supporting a musical instrument such as a xylophone, marimba or drum. The structure is a frame having supports on the opposing sides of the musical instrument. The frame legs have wheels or casters that allow the structure, and mounted instrument, to be moved. This patent does not include a microphone or sound pick-up device it provides a frame structure for attaching a xylophone or marimba.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,625 on Apr. 4, 1972 to Gerald W. Plice discloses a microphone shock-mounting apparatus. The mounting apparatus uses a cylindrical shock absorber to hold the body shaft of a microphone. This shock absorber is for a microphone and will hold a microphone; the microphone is mountable on a boom fitting or a desk base.
What is needed is an adjustable shock mount base for one or multiple microphones between the resonator tubes. The ideal system would allow a performer to move or adjust the location of the microphones to change the proximity of the microphones to the resonator tubes and the sound bars. This ideal system would isolate mechanical noise and sound from instrument and cable movement. The proposed marimba suspended microphone system satisfies the need with a suspended microphone system that is adjustable by the user.